Readers Guide: Jeffrey Deaver’s latest ‘The October List’ at Library

Thursday

Oct 17, 2013 at 8:41 PM

In 1975, with a stint in Viet Nam behind him, young history buff Nelson DeMille became intrigued by the Marxist revolution in Ethiopia and its effect on the people and their culture. He devised a plot centering on a search for the Holy Grail and used that war torn country as its setting. “The Quest” came out in paperback and sold moderately well. Now almost 40 years later, DeMille has revisited “The Quest,” polishing and revising it into his latest stand-alone novel — as compelling an adventure tale as it was in 1975, but seasoned by his years as a critically acclaimed writer.

In 1975, with a stint in Viet Nam behind him, young history buff Nelson DeMille became intrigued by the Marxist revolution in Ethiopia and its effect on the people and their culture. He devised a plot centering on a search for the Holy Grail and used that war torn country as its setting. “The Quest” came out in paperback and sold moderately well. Now almost 40 years later, DeMille has revisited “The Quest,” polishing and revising it into his latest stand-alone novel — as compelling an adventure tale as it was in 1975, but seasoned by his years as a critically acclaimed writer.

Born in Kenya in 1941, Richard Dawkins enjoyed a fairly normal, somewhat privileged childhood and was, for all intents and purposes, a happy underachiever. It was at Oxford, though, while studying under Niko Tinberger, that his focus finally sharpened and he began to narrow in on what he believed was the role of genetics in evolution. That idea gave birth to his highly controversial book, “The Selfish Gene.” Dawkins covers his intriguing journey to that point in his life in “An Appetite for Wonder: the Making of a Scientist” (570.920), the first in his projected two volume memoir.

Expecting to finally be re-united with her kidnapped 6-year-old daughter, Gabriela McKenzie is stunned when the person who finally appears is not Sarah’s rescuer, but her abductor Joseph Astor. From that point, Jeffrey Deaver takes us step-by-step back through Gabriela’s weekend to her encounter with Astor three days earlier when he tells her he has Sarah and makes his ransom demands. Deaver expertly unravels the events and keeps us guessing in his superb new novel “The October List.”

When he published “The Day of the Jackal” in 1971, Frederick Forsyth embarked on a long and continually entertaining writing career in espionage and counter terrorism. His latest follows Christopher “Kit” Carson and his team at Technical Operations Support Activity (TOSA) as they ferret out a terrorist known as the Preacher. His is the latest name to be added to TOSA’s short list of America’s most dangerous enemies, also known as “The Kill List.” Carson’s interest in the mission is much more than just professional — the Preacher assassinated his father.

Now that we all have gotten the message to eat more fruits and vegetables, food activist Jo Robinson wants us to take it one step further. She reveals that the original, wild varieties of much of what we eat are far more nutritionally powerful than the modern, genetically altered versions we see in the stores. She reveals which varieties of apples, carrots, lettuce, etc. are the healthiest to eat, and she also offers tips on storing and preparation that actually boost their nutritional value in her new book, “Eating on the Wild Side: The Missing Link to Optimum Health” (613.200).

Sylvie Mason’s parents have a unique talent. They help people who are haunted by other beings. Sylvie doesn’t fully understand it — all she knows is that a phone call late one night took them to a church where they were to meet someone in need. Sylvie, left in the car, watched her parents go inside the chapel, then was awakened by the sound of gunfire. Now a year later, left in the precarious care of her older sister Rose, Sylvie knows that the man soon to be tried for her parent’s murder may be innocent — but is she brave enough to uncover the truth? John Searles serves up a powerful psychological thriller with “Help for the Haunted.”